Final Speech

                Since we were little, we were taught that the core content classes, reading, writing and arithmetic, contains the content that is most important in our lives. This mind set has been taken by school systems across the nation, leaving the arts, like drama, music, and visual art, in the dark. Funding for these courses have been limited, if not, non-existent, and now there is talk of completely doing away with all of these types of classes. Studies show that art programs are vital to a student’s personal development and learning process, and by depriving them of these classes deprives them of a place to show case their creativity and individualism. The education of the arts should be allowed to exist and progress in all schools nationwide.

                For some people, music is just vibrations that the ear registers, that are then converted into electrical signals registered by the brain, so basically it’s just noise.  But to others, it is an escape, a completely different world where the music you make is more than just vibrations: it’s a channel of emotions being put into something others can notice and feel as well. It can be interpreted an infinite number of ways, and that’s the beauty of it. By teaching music courses in elementary, middle, and high school can be the first steps in a child’s life where they are entering this world of endless creativity and interpretation.  But by getting rid of music classes all together, the chances of having great music geniuses like Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, or John Elton are significantly low.  If the teaching of the arts in public schools is discontinued, the music industry as we know it will undergo significant changes.  But as for the effects music has on the development of a child’s mind, scientific studies of brains of musicians map out a much more extensive neural connection than in the brains of non-musicians.  Music can also enhance one’s ability to work in a group as a collective whole rather than as individuals. When playing or singing in an ensemble, you must listen to other instruments in order to match pitch, style, and articulation to create a uniform technical interpretation of the piece, otherwise, the story behind it could be blurred and not clear, creating an ineffective performance. Not only does music create an emotional outlet for musicians as well as influences creativity in the minds of the musicians, but it also stimulates brain function in children participating in such classes, as well as teaches them how to work in a group.

                Upon being taught the visual arts in school, students learn many key concepts that they need to pick up on that will benefit them upon growing older. For example, students are taught to pay attention to detail and observe when drawing something they are looking at. He or she also learns the concept of planning ahead as they create multiple drafts before the final product is created, taking what they have noticed in each phase of the drawing process and putting it all together to create a final masterpiece. Critical thinking is also called on in art classes. If the student is modeling something out of clay and the clay isn’t molding the way it is expected to, should they add more water, or should the clay be drier? Or when they are creating a specific shade of a color they need to be able to process which color needs to be added to create that specific shade using their prior knowledge or the color wheel and critical thinking. Not only does the teaching of the visual arts develop certain brain functions, but humans have expressed themselves through art since the dawn of civilization. An appreciation for art and exposure to art history gives any student a means for understanding other societies and cultures as well as our own.

                Drama calls on many skills a person will need when growing up, public speaking being a main skill. Students have to be able to speak in front of large crowds without fear or hesitation which they most likely will need to do around our age or even in college, depending on which field they go into. Self-confidence also plays into this. Students having a higher confidence level normally tend to perform better, since they don’t have as much doubt in their abilities which is what normally causes slip ups or even stage fright. Patience is one skill parents try to instill in their kids. Drama helps reinforce what these parents have taught, as they must weight for their cue to speak, which, depending on the part, could be waiting an hour to say one line. In the event of a child having a minor part, they must also be supportive and a team player. When they have a small role, they must learn to support others that might have a more important role than theirs, as well as learn that they can’t do it all on their own. They learn to work as a team, take turns, and cooperate. Drama might be the field that requires the most skill, as patience, team work, self-confidence, and public speaking play into effect here. Not only that, but drama also branches off to skills in carpentry, lighting, music and sound, visual artists….the possibilities are endless.

                Many skills are required to perform well in society, and these skills are taught and practiced in the arts that are taught in school. By taking away these classes, the school systems would take away the practice of these skills. Not only that, but they would be taking away the source and inspiration of creativity that these young musicians and artists and actors feel so passionate about. Not only should these courses continue to be taught in school, but the schools should also reorganize their financial plan to help contribute art programs at each school to help these programs stay afloat, as these courses are just as important as reading, writing and arithmetic.